I just love old family recipes. They are tried and true and make great memories come to mind every time I make them. This one reminds me of Thanksgiving.
Mark’s Aunt Petti did Thanksgiving for the family. Sometimes 40 people; her door was always open. My first Thanksgiving at her house was as a 19-year-old girlfriend in 1985. Walking in, her house smelled so good with all the aromas of turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes and more. They lived by a high school and the kids would go to the field and play football. There were stories through dinner and into dessert about who made a great pass, who dropped the ball and who cheated. Before we ate, we all held hands in a giant circle and counted off how many we were. Uncle Don, being the senior member of the group, always led us in prayer. It’s a tradition we still do today.
They moved in the early 90’s to a new house in a new town that didn’t have a high school at the end of the street. Most of us kids were married and some had started families yet we still gathered at Aunt Petti and Uncle Don’s house every year for Thanksgiving. The football game moved to the street, dodging moving and parked cars. One time, Mark’s cousin Kerin and I were leaning on a car watching our kids and cousins play football and she said, “Some people call this a family reunion, we just call it Thanksgiving.” She was so right. There is something comforting knowing you’ll all be together at least once a year.
Their new house smelled the same walking in and I still love that smell. All of us would bring a side dish or dessert and my dish was a cranberry Jello. Aunt Petti loved it the first time I brought it and from then on it was my requested dish. There would be anywhere between 15 and 50 people. She would have a turkey in her oven, a ham in the backyard BBQ and her daughter Kim, who lived around the corner, had a turkey in her oven.
Coming home for Thanksgiving became our thing after we moved to Arizona. We stayed home at Christmas because Santa didn’t travel. Much of my dad’s family lived in California to we would move heaven and earth to see everyone over the weekend. Kim now does Thanksgiving and Aunt Petti gets to relax. It’s still a multi-kitchen operation and my Jello is still asked for, Aunt Petti now brings it.
The last several years we’ve done our Thanksgiving in the desert where we spend the long weekend riding our dirt bikes and RZR’s. Many family members have left California as well but I still miss the smells of Aunt Petti and Kim’s house on Thanksgiving. I need to convince my men to skip the rides one year.
Aunt Petti made this cornbread that I love. Seriously, if I could have gotten away with taking the entire dish for myself I would have. After we moved to Arizona, she gave me the recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it, both at home and while camping. It has become a camping staple and “the” asked for dish at camping potlucks. When I decided to start this blog, I called her and asked if I could share her wonderful recipe. We talked about all kinds of things; their activities, Uncle Don’s woodworking and Jeff’s storm chasing. It was a fun conversation.
The original recipe calls for dicing and sautéing a small onion in 1/2 stick of butter until translucent then pouring the mixture over the cornbread casserole before baking. Onions are enemy number 1 for Mark so I had to improvise. I sneak them in using two tablespoons of dried chopped onions from the spice section of the grocery store. He says he can taste them but since they aren’t crunchy and smelly it’s okay. Such is life with a picky eater.
This is a one-dish recipe, too! Begin by beating your eggs in the pan. Then add everything else except the cheese. Stir it until completely combined and smooth it out. That’s it. Pop it into your preheated oven and take in the good smells as the magic happens. Ten minutes before timer dings, sprinkle the cheese on top.
There are two huge bonuses for making this while camping. One, I use a foil pan for easy cleanup and I mix it all together in that same foil pan. I want minimal cleanup after dinner to maximize fireside sitting. This also doubles well to feed a crowd. Just bake it a little longer, I add 5-10 minutes. Your oven may vary.
Thank you, Aunt Petti, for welcoming me into your house and family all those years ago and for this most wonderful Cornbread Casserole. Love you bunches!
Aunt Petti’s Cornbread Casserole
Serves 6-8
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 box Jiffy cornbread
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 can whole corn, drained
- 1 can creamed corn
- 2 Tablespoons dried chopped onion (this is the picky eater way, you can saute a small onion in 1/2 stick of butter and pour the mixture over the top just before baking)
- Grated cheddar cheese (I use a handful, you can use more or less to your taste)
Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients except cheese and stir well. Pour into square baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Add cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes.